I’ve just returned from Detroit, where I had the chance to meet a ton of readers and also drive a bunch of different factory-modified Fords. The company is already one of the most polyamorous when it comes to the aftermarket (you can walk into many Ford dealers and find an RTR Bronco or Roush Mustang), and now it’s trying to offer even more choices with a range of options that come either pre-installed or dealer-installed.
A big thanks to Thomas for riding herd on The Morning Dump while I was traveling. It’s not often that I go to track-oriented drives these days, and the weather at Michigan International Speedway was absolutely perfect. Also, they let me do a bunch of launches in our favorite truck, the shorty F-150 FP700S. While doing brake stands was a blast, this is a real economic opportunity for Ford.
Price is obviously an issue, and not everyone can afford to put another $10,000 on top of their existing purchase. Harley-Davidson tried to increase market share by lowering costs and it was successful, if only moderately so. Could Volkswagen do this? Volkswagen probably should have done this, and continues to suffer for seemingly missing the future.
And, finally, the happiest dealers remain Lexus dealers.
Ford Wants A Piece Of The $57 Billion Aftermarket
One of my favorite things to do when I get to our HQ in Los Angeles is to walk through Galpin Auto Sports and the Galpin Ford lot to see what kind of wild custom cars exist. Galpin has a bit of a candy shop approach to selling cars, and I always find something I become a little obsessed with (I could not convince my family to get a lowered Maverick Hybrid, but I tried).
Not all dealers can do this, I suppose, and taking a page from Galpinization, Ford is investing heavily in rolling out its own aftermarket program via three different channels. The first two you’re already familiar with, which is Ford Accessories for the usual stuff most people want (bedliner, floormats), and Ford Racing for go-fast parts ranging from lug nuts to full crate motors.
“Every single part is designed for customers to get a new feeling out of Ford,” said Matt Simpson, Executive Director of Ford Customization.”These are still backed by the Ford warranty, and that gives customers peace of mind.”
View this post on Instagram
While Ford has a huge catalog and a lot of models that are just begging to be modified, this isn’t that different from what other automakers offer. Where Ford is differentiating itself is in these mild-to-wild custom builds. On the milder side are more appearance-oriented packages like the Ford Bronco Sinister Bronze, which gets you the Ford Racing 2″ lift and suspension kit, Sinister Bronze accessories, extended fender flares, and the Ford Performance ProCal Tool.
These can be ordered by customers or dealers, and pre-installed or installed by dealers. In fact, almost all of what I saw can be fitted to existing cars either in full or in part, depending on what you want. The cost for the pre-installed Sinister Bronze package is $7,300.
Somewhere in the middle is the Maverick SV300T package, which adds a turbocharger, cooling, and suspension upgrades to make a hot hatch with a mullet. This was a standout to me, and I appreciated that it could be installed on the lower-trim 2.0L AWD XLT Maverick or the super fast Lobo.
I got to drive around an autocross in both a relatively base Maverick XLT and the Lobo fitted with the kit, and both were more fun than a truck needs to be, although the Lobo with the modified rear-drive unit is very Focus RS-like and feels much quicker. Costs are still being worked out, but if you want just the kit it’s about $5,000 before installation.
On the wildest end, I was able to do a couple of laps in a Mustang FP800S, which is an 800-horsepower Mustang with a lot of custom suspension and tuning work to make sure the 3.0-liter Whipple supercharger doesn’t leave you with a ton of power and no way to put it safely to the ground.
I spoke to engineers for both the engine and suspension, and it was clear they took a lot of pride in making this Mustang, which sits alongside the RTR, the Dark Horse, the GTD, and the seemingly endless variants of performance cars you can get from Ford. While the $18,500 cost of the FP800S (not installed) is high, these packages are designed to be cheaper than what you could do yourself, warrantied, and better calibrated from the factory.
“We’re not just slapping a Supercharger on and telling you good luck, have fun, see you later,” said Simpson.
Of course, the other key piece here is that Ford and Ford dealers can roll this into your financing if you’re getting the car new without having to lift a wrench. This could potentially be a huge margin lift for the company, as it’s rare these days to see an unmodified Bronco. The popularity of Bronco Raptors in my suburban neighborhood shows there’s clearly a demand, though I think most people around here probably don’t need a Raptor.
“We can do these highly specialized builds because we’re vertically integrated,” explained Simpson.
Harley’s Plan Is Sort Of Working
As previously mentioned, the plan for Harley-Davidson is to grow the brand by lowering costs and reaching new riders. It’s sort of working.
Reported motorcycle shipments of 39,200 were 9.4% higher than the same period the year before, but missed projections for 40,810. Harley’s revenue of $1.2 billion also missed analysts’ estimates for $1.3 billion in the second quarter.
Shares fell 1% at 9:34 a.m. in New York on Thursday.
Harley reported adjusted earnings per share of 75 cents, beating analyst estimates for 67 cents and raised. The company raised its full-year guidance for motorcycle unit income to between $10 million and $50 million, up from a $40 million loss to a $10 million profit.
So, mixed news, but progress.
Volkswagen, Woof Part 900
Volkswagen, having set expectations as low as possible, has somehow come in even lower as CNBC reports:
Europe’s biggest carmaker posted an operating profit of 3.5 billion euros ($3.98 billion) for the April to June period, down nearly 10% from a year ago and missing expectations of 4.3 billion euros, according to an LSEG-compiled consensus.
The company also flagged it expects sales revenue in 2026 to see a decline of up to 3% this year, versus a previous forecast of sales revenue growth of up to 3%.
Woof.
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
“Black Hole Sun” is one of those songs that doesn’t really match the rest of the artist’s catalog, as it’s way more alt-rock than what Soundgarden usually offers, but this doesn’t mean it’s not an all-time jam and an all-time video.
The Big Question
Have you ever modified a vehicle? How?
Top graphic image: Ford
My 1973 CJ-5 was one big modification, like a Jeep version of the Johnny Cash song One Piece at a Time. Had parts on it from the late 60s to late 70s. Some were improvements (power steering, front discs, T-18 ) others just because the parts happen to be around (windshield, 304 engine) and were poor choices, in retrospect.
In response to car mods, my friends Dad always used to say “They build ’em pretty good from the factory, eh?”
1986 SVO. Fully ported head and exhaust manifold, 3 inch downpipe, big cam, big injectors and pump, FMIC, big turbo, custom pistons, aftermarket ECU, running on E85. When last running it made 415hp at the wheels.
2013 SHO. CAI (which does nothing), 3 bar map and tune. Best quarter mile 12.1.
I’ve done several things to my 2014 Sportwagen TDI, mostly to make it a bit more like the GTI I used to have and more engaging to drive.
Malone stage 2 tune
H&R sport springs
Bilstein sport shock absorbers
Stiffer rear sway bar
Dogbone mount insert
Special edition GTI shift knob
Audi shift linkage
Hella horns
Android Auto compatible head unit
Additional soundproofing (and more yet to do)
Foglights, which I have yet to install
17″ TSW Nurburgring wheels
Window tint, properly done at the legal limit